This ten-day Walk like an Italian journey links five neighboring areas, each with its own unique character and charm.
You'll hike through a variety of beautiful landscapes including:
- the elegant streets, piazzas and palaces in the historic heart of Parma;
- the rugged coastal trails and bustling little towns of Cinque Terre National Park;
- the marble mountains and quiet villages of the little-known Alpi Apuane mountain range;
- the rolling Tuscan hills around the ancient hill-top town of Volterra;
- the relaxed sea-side villages and panoramic mountain trails of Elba Island.
As the countryside changes, so does the cuisine. Each place we visit has its own culinary style based on it's climate and geography. As the food changes so does the wine. Your guides will help you discover the local specialties, and introduce you to favourite wine-bars and eateries along the way. In this way the hikes are complemented by the meals, and the meals are complemented by the wines. It all adds up to a rich, sensory experience of Italy’s landscape and culture.
You'll be surprised how short the distances are between each of these remarkably contrasting locations. The itinerary has been carefully designed to minimize the travel-time while maximizing the experience of Italy’s regional diversity. Each day there are short and long hikes to choose from. While you walk you need only carry a light day-pack.
More about the accommodation:
The first night of the tour is a taste of life in one of Italy’s most beautiful cities, Parma - home to historic buildings, precious art, excellent cuisine and incredibly-stylish citizens. Our accommodation here is a 4-star hotel in Parma's historic city-center.
For nights 2 & 3 the group will be accommodated in vacation apartments scattered throughout Corniglia, the smallest and quietest of Cinque Terre National Park’s famous five villages.
High in the Apuan Alps of north Tuscany lies the village of Pruno (population: 75), our home for nights 4 & 5. Here we’ll stay in vacation apartments, most of them owned by local families currently living elsewhere in Italy.
Our accommodation for nights 6 & 7 is a small, family-run, 3-star hotel in Volterra, a medieval-era town in the heart of Tuscany.
For the last two nights of the tour we’ll stay in another family-run 3-star hotel, this time in the laid-back seaside town of Marciana Marina, Elba Island.
